Willowbridge - April 2017 by Peel, Inc.

WillowTalk

Willowbridge - Stonebridge Homeowners Association Newsletter www.willowbridgehoa.com Volume 22

April 2017

No. 4

LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE… BARKING DOGS BE HUSHED! Graham Management and various members of the HOA board have been receiving complaints regarding nuisance dog barking. Dogs bark…this is what they do…this is how they communicate. However, barking dogs encourage other dogs to bark, that might not otherwise do so. Pretty soon there’s a cacophony of barking that is not music to your neighbor’s ears. Problems arise in a neighborhood when a dog barks incessantly and the constant barking causes a nuisance and inappropriate behavior. If you spend a lot of time away from home working, traveling, etc., you may not realize what the pooches are doing while you’re away. In most cases, the 3 main reasons for problem barking are: loneliness/separation anxiety, insufficient training and neglect. If you own a dog please be sure that it does not become a nuisance. Ultimately it is up to the dog owner to accept responsibility and actively pursue a solution to the nuisance barking. There is plenty of advice on the internet to help with reshaping your dog’s nuisance behavior via proper training and obedience classes. And…there are humane devices to stop the barking whether it’s your dog or the neighbors. What to Do If You Have a Problem If you are on the receiving end of the nuisance barking ask yourself these questions. 1. Am I losing sleep? 2. Is it negatively affecting my health and/or wellbeing? 3. Is it affecting my personal relationships?

4. Can I hear it in my home with or without the windows closed? 5. Does it disrupt the enjoyment of my front and/or back yard? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you owe it to yourself and your family to contact the dog owner. 1. If you have a problem with a neighbor’s barking dog(s) and feel comfortable in doing so, you may approach them neighbor to neighbor and say something like: “Your dog has been barking for 2 hours solid and I just wanted to be sure everything is ok”. (Dogs have been known to bark incessantly when their owner has been incapacitated and unable to call for help.) It also will help if you can enlist other neighbors that may be “suffering in silence”. 2. If you don’t have a good relationship with the neighbor or they have been unresponsive to your requests - Notify Graham Management of your complaint by email: grahammanagement@ sbcglobal.net. As noted before, this is a process. The registered homeowner will be sent a letter that a complaint has been filed; 10 days later a 2nd letter is sent and then 10 days later a 3rd letter is sent by certified mail triggering a $35 fee for administration costs. Please review the Willowbridge Pet Policy Resolution passed July 22, 1992 in its entirety at willowbridge hoa.com. Two excerpts that pertain to this article are: 1. Pg. 2 – No. 2 – Animal Rules and Regulations (2) Pet Maintenance – Excessive noise, unsanitary conditions, offensive odors or disruptive pet behavior will not be permitted. 2. Pg. 2 – No. 2 – (3) Type and Number of Pets – No more than a total of three (3) cats or three (3) dogs or a combination of a total of three (3) per lot is allowed (with few and limited exceptions). (Continued on Page 3) Willowbridge-Stonebridge Homeowners Association Newsletter - April 2017 1

Willowbridge - Stonebridge IMPORTANT NUMBERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

All Emergencies................................................................911 Harris County Sheriff...................................... 713-221-6000 Harris County Animal Control....................... 281-999-3191 Cy-Fair Hospital.............................................. 281-890-4285 Street Lights & Outages - CenterPoint Energy.713-207-2222 CenterPoint Energy......................................... 713-659-2111 Newsletter Publisher Peel, Inc....................... www.PEELinc.com, 888-687-6444 Advertising.......advertising@PEELinc.com, 888-687-6444 Poison Control Center.................................... 800-222-1222 AT&T - Repair............................................... 800-246-8464 Billing............................................................ 800-585-7928 Best Trash........................................................ 281-313-2378 Vacation Watch - Harris County District 5..... 281-290-2100 W. Harris County MUD #11.......................... 281-807-9500 Willow Place Post Office................................. 281-890-2392 Willowbridge Website..................www.willowbridgehoa.com

Jennifer Y'Barbo...................................................... President Barbara Lallinger......................................................Secretary Ryan Lovell ............................................................ Treasurer Rebecca Peters...........................................................Director

ASSOCIATION DIRECTORY Beautification Committee Jennifer Y’Barbo................................jhybarbo@gmail.com Homeowners Association................................ 713-334-8000 Graham Mgmt - Mandi Moody .................................... grahammanagement@sbcglobal.net Clubhouse Reservations Mandi Moody............................................. 713-334-8000 Pool Parties Tags Graham Management.................................. 713-334-8000 Marquee Coordinator Barbara Lallinger........................... blallinger@hotmail.com Newsletter Coordinator Barbara Lallinger & Krystina Cotton ............................................willowbridgenews@gmail.com Soccer Field Coordinator Jay Guarino.................................. jvguarino@hotmail.com Website Coordinator ................................................. willowbridgehoa@live.com Yard of the Month Committee Nominate your favorite at: willowbridgehoa.com or Contact Jennifer Y’Barbo................................jhybarbo@gmail.com Lost Pet Coordinator Sonia Moore..................... msrco@aol.com, 281-955-8068 Welcoming Committee Gracie Galvan.............................................. 281-732-0009 ................................................. galvangracie@hotmail.com Tennis Coordinator Cory Fein.......................................... coryfein@yahoo.com 2

Willowbridge-Stonebridge Homeowners Association Newsletter - April 2017

HOA INFORMATION Willowbridge Homeowners Association Inc. - Graham Mgmt Mandi Moody............................................. 713-334-8000 E-Mail......................... grahammanagement@sbcglobal.net Fax ................................................................. 713-334-5055 2825 Wilcrest Dr., #600 Houston, Tx. 77042 If you have any questions or comments regarding the neighborhood please contact the numbers above.

HOA MEETINGS Willowbridge/Stonebridge Homeowner's Association Meetings 4th Thursday of each quarter (January, April, July & October) at 6:00 pm at the clubhouse.

WELCOMING COMMITTEE The Welcoming Committee meetings are the last Monday of each month.

HARRIS COUNTY ROAD AND BRIDGE To report street or curb damage, missing/damaged street signs and street flooding: (281) 353-8424 or www.hcp4.net. If a resident wants to request a new sign or replace a damaged one, they have to go online and fill out a request.

STREET LIGHT OUT? If you notice a street light out PLEASE report it to CenterPoint Energy. We pay for all of the street lights in our subdivision… every month…regardless if they are illuminated or not!! This is also a serious safety issue. To report an outage, follow these steps: By Phone: During normal business hours (7 am – 7 pm) • Call (713) 207-2222 • Give the Customer Service Representative the 6 digit pole number (located approximately 6 feet up the pole), the street name and closest address. • Online (anytime): centerpointenergy.com

NEWSLETTER ARTICLE SUBMISSION Newsletter Article submission Deadline is 3rd of each month. Please give a 2 month advance notice.

(Let Sleeping Dogs Lie... Cont. from Cover) While researching this article several things popped out as possible solutions. 1. ULTRASONIC bark control devices/collars (humane, non-shock) 2. BARK ENDER – is a company that will anonymously contact your neighbor/dog owner by mail, informing them of the problem, solutions and possible legal consequences. Cost: $14.95 plus S&H at barkender.com 3. Quit it! Instant Pet Trainer can be found at PetsMart for $10.99. It is a 4 ounce aerosol can that hisses. This product is being recommended by a friend who first used it for her horses. She now uses it with the dogs and they no longer beg at the table. In fact, they lie outside the dining area.

WillowTalk

- WANTED -

SPRING FESTIVAL EVENT COORDINATOR The HOA is looking for a VOLUNTEER to Coordinate and Manage the Annual Spring Festival Activities including: • Recruit, organize and manage volunteers • Purchase food, drinks, snacks, supplies, etc. for the event • Setup and teardown • Man activities such as games, bounce houses, petting zoo, etc. • Trash collection and disposal • ETC. If you are this person, send email to blallinger@hotmail.com

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Willowbridge-Stonebridge Homeowners Association Newsletter - April 2017 3

Willowbridge - Stonebridge LOOK IT’S A BIRD, IT’S A BEE, IT’S A ROBOT! In the springtime our thoughts turn to the Birds and Bees. But, do we really know how important these thoughts are? A recent article in the Houston Chronicle focused on Beekeeper, Randy Vehoek who makes a living, renting bee colonies to farmers around the country whose crops need a boost from the mighty pollinators and the heist of several of his bee colonies. Someone stole 300 hives, (that’s $90,000 worth!), that he had tucked away in a pasture in Manvel. According to the article, Texas is the 6th largest honey producing state with an output of over 9 million pounds in 2014 (North Dakota is by far the largest). The suspected cause of the thievery is almonds. Eighty (80) percent of the world’s almonds are grown In California’s Central Valley on 1 million acres. Each acre of almond groves requires 2 hives. Chris Moore, a beekeeper from Kountze (and also President of the Texas Beekeepers Association) sends his bees to California almond groves in February, bringing them back to produce honey until mid-June when Texas flowers dry up. They then go to West Texas, to pollinate watermelons and Wisconsin for the cranberries. Transporting the bees can expose them to fungicides or pesticides and/or other diseased bees. Thievery of bee colonies is adding to the already imposing risks of the honey bee, such as loss of habitat, agricultural chemicals, invasive species, climate change, Colony Collapse Disorder Disease and Vanishing Bee Syndrome. The decline of the bee population has far reaching effects that most of us don’t realize such as the disruption of ecosystems, agriculture and the economy. Thirty years ago the expected loss in the industry was 10%. By 1999 it was 20% and now it is 40-45%.

crops. Scientists in Japan have configured a remote-controlled bio-inspired drone that can pollinate flowers; however, it is nowhere near ready to be put into agriculture use. The pollinating drone was configured using a four propeller drone that cost about $100 and attaching horse hairs to its surface to mimic a bee’s fuzzy body. The horse hairs were then coated with a sticky gel (one created 10 years ago for another purpose and thought to be a mistake) by Eijiro Miyako, a chemist at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan. What We Can Do to Help – Some simple things to keep them buzzin’. 1. PLANT things that bees like such as clover (a biggie), salvia, oregano, lavender, yarrow, sage, Echinacea, bee balms, goldenrod, buttercup and English thyme. 2.

PROVIDE a bee habitat.

3. ELIMINATE garden pesticides…go organic and natural with pest control. 4. LET your veggies “bolt”. If possible, allow a few of your home gardens leafy vegetables to “bolt” or go to seed after harvest. 5. SUPPORT your local Beekeepers. You’ll find them at farmer’s markets.

In flowering plants, sex often involves a threesome. Flowers looking to get the pollen from their male parts into anther bloom’s female parts need an envoy to carry it from one to the other. Those third players are animals known as pollinators, a diverse group of critters that includes bees, butterflies, birds and bats among others. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, animal pollinators are needed for the reproduction of 90% of flowering plants and 1/3 of human

Willowbridge-Stonebridge Homeowners Association Newsletter - April 2017

WillowTalk TALKING TRASH Paper or Plastic? The single-use plastic bag was invented in Sweden in 1962. The first application was the shopping bag. Over 1/3 of all plastic production is for packaging designed for short-term use. Plastic bags are made from natural gas or petroleum that formed over millions of years, yet they are often used for mere minutes before being discarded to make their way to dumps or incinerators, if they don’t blow away and end up as litter first. In landfills and waterways, plastic is persistent, lasting for hundreds of years, breaking into smaller pieces and leaching out chemical components as it ages, but never fully disappearing. Animals confuse the bags with food and they can end of entangled, injured or dead. Studies have shown that plastic from discarded bags actually soak up additional pollutants like pesticides and industrial waste that are in the ocean and delivers it to sea life. The harmful substance can then move up the food chain to the food people eat. Plastics and the various additives that they contain have been tied to a number of human health concerns, including disruption of the endocrine and reproductive systems, infertility and a possible link to some cancers.

SAGA OF THE SIDEWALK SEESAW CONTINUED First a correction. In retrospect, the MUD has voted to repair (5) of the manhole covers (March’s WillowTalk reported 13) that are considered to be the ones mainly impacted by foot traffic to Gleason El and Cook MS. Of these 5, 3 are on Willowbridge Park Blvd., across from Gleason EL and 2 are on Wheatland going towards Cook MS. The MUD has received no response from Harris County regarding requests for repair via electronic work order they submitted in January. Depending upon weather conditions, the MUD plans to do our repairs the week of Spring Break. Hopefully, this will have happened by the time you are reading this. Also, in the March issue it was noted that the MUD would be assessing their whole infrastructure in the future. The future came sooner than later and the process has been completed in Willowbridge/Stonebridge.

In 2014 it was said that 100 billion plastic bags pass through the hands of consumers every year, almost 1 bag per person, each day, laid end-to-end they could circle the equator 1,330 times. Many cities are looking for ways to reduce the plastic litter that blights landscapes and clogs sewers and streams. Single use plastics (bags, soda/water/juice bottles, etc.) are damaging our environment and threatening the value of our communities. To discourage use, some larger cities have instituted a bag charge to discourage single use plastics. Some are even discouraging the use of paper bags and rewarding customers that bring their own reusable bags. We can save taxpayer dollars by committing to using reusable bags at grocery stores and even when shopping in the mall. Several Texas cities have either instituted a charge/reward system or declined to not “ban the bag” and instead create recycling programs. Of note, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Freer, Fort Stockton, Kermit, Laguna Vista, Laredo, Midland, Odessa, Port Aransas, South Padre Island and Waco. Galveston has postponed a vote to sometime this year. Governor Greg Abbott has ruled against some of the miscellaneous ordinances, but it appears to affect those passed for solid waste management purposes only. Most cities have passed ordinances for other purposes, such as Ft. Stockton…to protect cattle and horses (they eat then die) and coastal wildlife. San Antonio District Council member, Chris Medina, said it best, “If we could just stop using them, we could clean up our environment, protect waterways and wildlife, reduce maintenance costs and reserve our taxpayer dollars for better uses like street improvements or education”. Copyright © 2017 Peel, Inc.

Willowbridge-Stonebridge Homeowners Association Newsletter - April 2017 5

Willowbridge - Stonebridge

THE SCHOOL ZONE

A – F School Rating System…Might as well be A – Z At the Districts VOLUNTEERS: Lunch & Learn on March 7th, attendees were given a synopsis of what this rating is and the districts perspective on this rating system, by Dr. Ashley Clayburn, Assistant Superintendent of School Improvement and Accountability. CFISD, along with many others is strongly opposed to the system, as it is a confusing and unfair rating system. Attendees received a handout researched and developed by the CFISD Community Leadership Committee (CLC) and adopted by the CFISD Board of Trustees. CLC is a VOLUNTEER organization made up of businesspeople, parents, clergy and retirees working together to support CFISD. Their Mission is to LEARN how local, state and federal issues impact the quality of education systems in CFISD; SHARE information with parent, taxpayer and business communities, enabling them to become more knowledgeable and engaged; and COMMUNICATE with elected officials, making them aware of the impact of proposed legislation on quality public education. The brochure included the following CFISD Legislative Priorities and Facts. School Finances *COMPEL the legislature to comply with its own statutory mandate to calculate, at each biennium, funding level needed for general diffusion of knowledge. *DEVELOP a system for funding public schools that is systematically transformed to one that is simple and equitable. *ENSURE adequate funding for high quality implementation of House Bill 5. *PROVIDE adequate funding for quality pre-K programs. Assessment & Accountability *ALIGN state and federal assessment and accountability systems (e.g. eliminate any assessments not required by federal law – writing and social studies). *USE the following school accountability ratings: Exemplary, Recognized, Acceptable and Unacceptable. Eliminate A – F ratings. *PROVIDE multiple pathways for students to demonstrate college and career readiness. School Choice *SUPPORT school choice that ensures uniform standards and requirements for all school systems receiving state funds. *OPPOSE legislation that diverts funding from public schools. Transparency *MAINTAIN the present level of reporting requirements. *SUPPORT reporting systems that provide clear and concise 6

Willowbridge-Stonebridge Homeowners Association Newsletter - April 2017

information to patrons of the district. *EXPECT transparency and reporting requirements to be applied equally to public schools, charter schools and others who receive state education funding. QUICK TIPS / INFO – CFISD FACTS *115,000 students enrolled *Largest employer in Cy-Fair *3rd largest district in Texas *92.4% graduation rate *104 languages and dialects spoken *50.8% economically disadvantaged *96.91% students within district boundaries attend public school LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY FOCUS *Provide fair, updated and adequate public school funding. *Utilize reasonable and reliable student testing and assessments of schools. *Avoid “different rules for different schools”. ISDs are held to different and higher standards. *Ensure accountability and transparency for any schools receiving taxpayer $. ACTION STEPS *Become informed. *Connect on Facebook and Twitter. *Contact your Texas Legislators and be sure to share your opinions by logging on To: www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us. Did you know that Texas State Constitution, Article 7, Section 1, reads? “A general diffusion of knowledge being essential to the preservation of the liberties and rights of the people, it shall be the duty of the Legislature of the State to establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools.”

YOUR COMMUNITY,

YOUR VOICE

Do you have an article or story that you would like to run in this newsletter? Send it to us and we will publish it in the next issue. Email your document to willowbridgenews@gmail.com Copyright © 2017 Peel, Inc.

WillowTalk At no time will any source be allowed to use the WillowTalk contents, or loan said contents, to others in anyway, shape or form, nor in any media, website, print, film, e-mail, electrostatic copy, fax, or etc. for the purpose of solicitation, commercial use, or any use for profit, political campaigns, or other self amplification, under penalty of law without written or expressed permission from the Willowbridge-Stonebridge Homeowners Association and Peel, Inc. The information in the WillowTalk is exclusively for the private use of Willowbridge-Stonebridge residents only.

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Willowbridge-Stonebridge Homeowners Association Newsletter - April 2017